The Crimson Axe
by Winner222
Summary: Ragnar Lothbrok expected to conquer England, but he never expected to help a foreign princess conquer a kingdom.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: The Beginning

The wailing of a baby could be heard from deep within the forest as well as the hushing after it. In the midst of the forest, there was a woman, a little girl, and a baby. It was an unusual sight. The woman and the girl were covered in grime and blood, and the baby was wrapped in a dirty blanket. The little girl was clinging on her skirts as she looked warily around the forest, scared of the noises the animals made.

The woman was trying to calm the baby down, she rocked him as she hummed a lullaby. The baby was hungry, yet the woman had nothing to give to the child. Their boat had shipwrecked, tossing over their food and gold to the bottom of the ocean. The woman glanced around, hoping no vicious animals were nearby.

The woman, Daena, had a moment of sudden revelation. She was happy she continued to carry her trusty Valyrian dagger beneath her skirts. With a weapon, Daena knew she could hunt and feed the children.

Daena turned to the little girl, Rhaenys, who was holding onto the folds of her dress.

"Rhae…" she cooed, trying to get the girl to face her.

Rhaenys looked up, her head tilted in a questioning manner.

"I want you to hold Aegon for a minute," Daena said, but before she could complete her sentence, Rhaenys shook her head violently. Her deep purple eyes filled with panic, she didn't want Daena to leave, like her mother.

"Oh darling, I'm not going to leave you here," Daena said, in a soft and calm voice. "I only want you to sit here with Aegon until I come back with food for us." She said, gesturing towards a log in front of them.

Rhaenys slowly nodded her head in agreement. She sat down on the log and held out her hands for her brother.

"Be careful with him." Daena muttered, as she gently placed Aegon in Rhaenys' arms.

Daena took her dragon-glass dagger out from her thigh holster and walked deeper into the forest. Her stomach growled, and she instinctively held her hand against it. I must get something for the children to eat, she mused.

She kept her feet light as she walked over the roots and through the dampened ground. Daena was glad Ser Barristan Selmy had taught her how to hunt and fight, regardless of what her father thought.

The trees stood utterly still, where no leaf dared to fall, and dark shadows caressed her face. Daena closed her eyes and breathed in the earthy scent of fresh rain on dry soil. She breathed out and looked around, the green foliage had fresh morning dew over it. A long time had passed since she wandered in the forest.

Daena shook thoughts about wandering and admiring the forest out of her head. She had to focus on the task at hand, which was getting food for the children. Daena's hand gripped the dagger tight.

From the corner of her eye, Daena noticed a bush twitching and rustling. With the balls of her feet, she walked close to it, as not to scare the animal. She was a few meters away when she saw it was a rabbit, a fat and juicy one. She bent her wrist toward her forearm and with a quick snap, the dagger flew towards the bush.

Daena made her way to grab the dead rabbit. Ah, the rabbit was fat, enough for both of us, she thought. Now, all she needed was a few berries for Aegon as he was still small and couldn't consume meat.

Her eyes roamed around the forest, and by a large oak tree, Daena saw a raspberry bush. Perfect, she thought, I am awfully lucky today. She traipsed towards the bush and set the dead rabbit by her feet. Daena ripped a large swatch of fabric from the skirts of her dress and started picking the fresh berries. Once she thought it was enough, she tied the fabric like a pouch and grabbed the rabbit by her feet.

With a brisk pace, she made her way to the children. As Daena reached the clearing, she saw little Rhaenys seated right where she left her. She was rocking her brother in her arms and her eyes perked up at the sight of Daena's arrival.

"I got food for us," Daena said, holding up the rabbit and the pouch. Rhaenys smiled at the thought of food, it had been far too long since they had a hot meal.

Daena set the rabbit down by the log and held out arms for Aegon. "Rhae, why don't you grab some branches for the fire, I'll feed Aegon in the meantime."

Rhaenys nodded and gave Aegon to her aunt, before running to the edge of the clearing.

"Don't go too far!" Daena called out. All she got back was a small grunt.

Daena laughed to herself and she ceased it when she saw her nephew, his lilac eyes were watery, and he looked pale. We have to find someone or someplace to stay and fast, she thought, worried.

She put Aegon in her lap and took out a single berry from the pouch. Daena knew babies required mother's milk, but with Elia gone, there was no way she could provide that for Aegon. Then, she recalled a Maester speaking about giving mashed items to babies was an easier way to feed them.

Daena crushed it between her fingers and held out a single digit towards Aegon's mouth. He ate it and cooed, loving the flavour of the berries. One by one, she fed Aegon all the raspberries.

She looked up and saw Rhaenys happily running around the forest. Rhaenys was gathering branches and tinder into a pile in the middle of the clearing.

"Rhae, I think that's enough," she said. "Here, hold Aegon. I will cook the rabbit."

Rhaenys stopped in her tracks and dropped the remaining branches into the pile, before making her way to her aunt. Daena placed the baby into Rhaenys' arms. She cooed at the baby.

Daena gutted and skinned the rabbit quickly, it wasn't as precise as she wanted. She wasn't experienced at skinning animals, only at hunting. The servants back at Kings Landing usually did butchering and cooking. Daena picked up a granite rock from the side of the log and used it to create a fire. As the fire raged, she skewered a long piece of meat on a branch and held it over the flame.

The meat cooked under heat and Daena looked up at the blue sky. The sunlight filtered through the tall trees, casting shadows all around. When the meat finished cooking, Daena gave half of it to Rhaenys and ate the remaining half. She continued the process several times, until they finished the rabbit meat.

With their stomachs full, Daena and the children now had energy to walk through the forest and to find civilization. Daena cradled Aegon in her right arm and clutched Rhaenys hand in the other. The trio walked cautiously through the forest, avoiding large roots and vicious animals.

It was almost evening as Daena and the children trekked through the forest for hours. As they rested on a large block of wood, a breeze of wind brought the scent of crisp, salty air towards them. None of them drank water for hours, and their throats were dry. Daena abruptly stood up, cradled a sleeping Aegon, and shook a drowsy Rhaenys awake. She walked at a determined pace, Daena knew there would be people at the shoreline.

With every step they took, the scent of salt got stronger, and Daena knew they were on the right track.

At last, they were behind a bush when Daena spied a man, an odd-looking man. He was working on an unfinished boat, a boat that looked unlike the ones they had back in Westeros and the Free Cities. The boat had twin, large hulls which were long and narrow. The man was bald, thin and tall, quite taller than any of the nobles or peasants back in Westeros. Regardless, the sight of a man meant that there would be civilization nearby as well as food and water.

Daena let go of Rhaenys hand and brought her hand up to shift the branches away, to get a better look. Rhaenys whimpered and clutched her skirt once again. The man's head snapped to the side and he got up, yet he didn't turn around. Daena decided it would be best if she showed herself, instead of spying at the man with the risk of getting attacked.

She stepped out from behind the bush and cleared her throat. The man finally turned around and he looked terrifying with black kohl lined around his eyes, bald with a long, scraggly beard.

**Note:****The story starts off right after Rhaegar loses to Robert at the Trident and as for Vikings, its right after Ragnar came back from his trip to England with Athelstan.****This is a AU where both Rhaenys and Aegon were both saved. Our OC Daena Targarean is the sister of Rhaegar, younger by 3 years, we'll get into more of her backstory as the story progresses.**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO: Welcome to Kattegat**

Italics = Norse

Regular = Common Tongue (Language spoken in Westeros)

Daena cleared her throat once again, "Hello Ser, I am Princess Daena of House Targaryen from Westeros. And you are?"

The bearded man looked confused. Then he smiled, it was a terrifying smile, wide and full of teeth, one that would scare away children. He muttered something indiscernible under her breath and laughed to himself, though it was more like a high pitched giggle. Rhaenys squeaked, frightened by the man and hid behind Daena's skirts.

The man smirked, _"I am Floki, boat builder of Kattegat. Though I'm sure you didn't understand a word I said."_

_"It doesn't look like you're Saxons,"_ Floki said to himself, looking at Daena's intricate deep purple gown. _"And those eyes…very peculiar..."_ He drifted off.

Floki walked closer to Daena and the children. Daena stood still, fearing that he would strike her suddenly, she did not know what he would do next. He is speaking in an unknown tongue, Daena thought. She recognized many foreign languages spoken in Westeros and across the Free Cities, but she never heard of this one. It sounded harsh, a language consisting of drawled out vowels and constants.

I fear I have landed in a far away country, one undocumented by Maesters, Daena presumed. It would take her moons and even years to get back to her country. With no gold, supplies and supporters, it was going to be a difficult journey.

The man stood inches away from her face, gazing into her eyes with wonder. He then peered down at Rhaenys, Daena shuffled to the side to hide her, although he managed to get a glimpse of her scared purple eyes.

Floki spun around and started walking, gesturing to Daena in a follow me motion.

Daena hesitated for a few seconds. She decided it would be best to follow the man, the children needed food, water, and rest. Besides she had her dagger hidden in the folds of her skirt. She just hoped it wouldn't be a trap.

Rhaenys grabbed onto her hand, jostling her out of her thoughts. Floki stopped ahead, he was already atop an incline, as if waiting for Daena to make her decision. She took in a deep breath, steeled herself and followed after him.

The walk had been intense for the trio, crossing over several small streams of water and walking through the dense foliage. The land was fertile enough, allowing vegetation to flourish without the need of constant tending. Daena's arm became numb with the weight of Aegon and with Rhaenys clutching her hand, it required more concentration to avoid tripping over roots and loose rocks.

Thankfully, the man, Floki, as he introduced himself, gave her his waterskin. It was filled with ale, one with a sour aftertaste. Daena passed the skin to Rhaenys, but after smelling the sourness she shook her head. Daena forced her to drink knowing she was thirsty. She also gave Aegon a few smaller sips.

_"Welcome to Kattegat."_ Floki stated, gesturing toward the village with spread arms.

Finally, we have reached our destination, Daena thought. "Katt-grat," Daena repeated after Floki, though her pronunciation was incorrect, if Floki's laughter was anything to go by.

A gust of wind provided relief to her sweaty face, arms, and body. Silvery strands of hair stuck to her forehead. She closed her eyes and breathed in the salty air of the village.

Daena opened her lilac eyes and smiled. It reminded her of Dragonstone, where she would swim and fish, while her brother locked himself into the library, reading his books. Her smile faded at the thought of her brother. If only he had provided protection to Elia and the children, we would not have to run away from our ancestral home, she thought angrily.

The village was a sea of greys and black clothing, it was equally as colourful as the North. Villagers were going about their day, men carrying long axes with strange curves at the end. There were a few women dressed in leather armour carrying strange circular shields and swords.

A few people stopped to glance towards their group. Daena just smiled politely and conversations around them erupted. Daena knew she looked like a mess with mud and dirt covering her arms and tears on the skirts of her dress. She still maintained an air of regality, never one to slouch and cower beneath the gazes of the public.

_"Come along now, we are almost there."_ Floki said. He walked through the crowd, uncaring of the people speaking around them or throwing questions his way.

Daena hurried after him, unsure who they were going to meet. Though she knew it must be an important person, one who would decide if she was worthy to stay in the village or not.

As Floki and Daena walked down the stone pathway, a group of children ran past them, smiling and yelling in a playful manner. Rhaenys stopped to look back at the children, her eyes yearned to go play with them, it had been so long since she last saw anyone her age. She stopped talking after the death of her mother and her beloved cat, Balerion. Rhaenys ignored her feelings and clenched Daena's hand. She never wanted to be apart from her aunt ever again.

They arrived in front of a medium sized house. It was a simple home without any sort of grand furnishings, quite unlikely for a person of high status. The house had a steep brown roof and was made entirely of wood, like the rest of the homes she saw as they walked down the path.

The courtyard was cordoned off by a wooden fence, a young blonde boy was playing an unknown game with a curly black haired male. He was wearing a long, dirty black robe, reminiscent of Septons from the Faith of Seven. There was a rope tied around his neck, dangling midway to his chest. He must be a slave, Daena realized.

There was a young blonde girl drying clothes along a clothesline. All activity stopped as they reached the courtyard, the curly haired male gaped at Daena. It seemed like he recognized the distinctive features of the trio.

The young boy moved closer to the entryway, _"Who are they, Floki?"_ Rhaenys hid behind Daena's legs, still unused to kids her age.

Floki clapped his hands and crouched in front of the boy, "They are our guests, you can even consider them a gift from the gods..."

_"Now where is your father?"_ He asked, getting up, hands at his hips, looking around expectedly for Ragnar.

_"He is inside with mother, they are cooking dinner."_ the boy replied, wrinkling his nose at the thought of his parents, alone. They were most likely making eyes at each other.

_"Stay here."_ said Floki to Daena, gesturing her to stay in the courtyard. He quickly turned around and walked into the house.

Daena sighed, it was beginning to get cold as evening settled in. Goosebumps raised along her arms and Aegon let out a loud cry, his little fists flailing. He had thankfully been asleep the entire duration of their walk. He is hungry, I will need to feed him soon, Daena thought, worried. She rocked the baby, humming an old lullaby under breath.

The young blonde girl walked over to where Daena was standing, a friendly smile on her face. She pointed to herself, "Gyda."

Daena understood she was trying to communicate and responded by gesturing towards herself, "Daena."

"This is Aegon," said Daena, gesturing toward the crying budle in her arms. "And this is Rhaenys." She encouraged Rhaenys to stop hiding behind her dress and to interact with the other children.

Rhaenys shuffled her feet, her purple eyes lowered to the ground. It was overwhelming for her. She looked up and saw Gyda smiling at her and Rhaenys felt the tightness in her chest loosen. She smiled in return.

Daena smiled, it was going to be a slow process, but surely living here will help heal Rhaenys' broken heart. As well as herself, the pain of losing her sister-in-law, her mother, and her brother was all too consuming. But she carried forward because if she got lost in her own emotions, then who would take care of the children.

Gyda held out her hand for Rhaenys to grab. She glanced at her aunt as if to ask for permission, Daena just gave a cheerful smile in return. Rhaeyns clutched it and despite the language barriers, both girls ran off to play.

The young boy was disinterested in the situation and turned back to his game, playing by himself as his partner's attention drifted to their latest visitors. Daena felt a piercing stare at the back of her head, she turned around and saw it was the curly haired man. She walked towards him, wanting to know more about the village and its leaders from the perspective of a slave.

Before she could even say another word, Floki came out from the house, a large smile on his face. Beside him was a tall blonde haired woman, the mother of the two children. She was wearing a plain cotton dress and had numerous braids in her hair.

_"Come, Earl Ragnar wants to talk to you,"_ Floki gestured his hand into the house. Daena looked back at Rhaenys, she was happily playing with Gyda.

_"Do not worry, I will watch them."_ the woman said. She pointed two fingers from her eyes to the girls. Daena realized the woman was telling her that she will look after Rhaenys. The woman smiled at Daena as she passed and walked towards the girls.

Daena entered the house, with Floki following behind. The first thing she noticed was how tall the man was, almost as tall as Floki and his eyes were piercingly blue. His hair was cut in a similar fashion as the male villagers, sides of head shaved, with the top section of hair braided.

Then she noticed the interior of the house. It contrasted the rich and decorative rooms of King's Landing, the home had dark wooden floors and walls. Circular shields and longswords hung from the sides of the wall. It was warm and cozy and warm, fit for a family of four.

The imposing man was about to speak when the wooden floor creaked, it was the curly haired man, _"I apologize for interrupting, Ragnar, but I know who she is and where she is from."_

"I am Athelstan, a Christian monk from the north of England." He said, in Common Tongue, the official language spoken Westeros.

Daena gasped, "Praise the seven, do you know where we are?" She asked. Daena clutched onto Aegon for support. I have finally found someone who understands me, she thought, happily.

Aegon let out pitiful whimpers, Daena glanced at Athelstan, "Before anything, I need food for the child."

Athelstan nodded and walked towards the back of the house. He came back with a bowl of lukewarm broth and placed it on the dining table. "Come sit," Daena walked over and started feeding small spoonfuls of broth to Aegon.

_"We can sit and talk as she feeds the child."_ He said to Ragnar and Floki in the foreign language.

_"She is Princess Daena Targaryen from Westeros. The girl playing outside and babe are Rhaenys and Aegon Targaryen, her brother's children,"_ Athelstan explained. Daena looked up from feeding Aegon and glanced at the men.

_"But what is this foreign princess doing so far from home?"_ Ragnar asked, contemplative. He crossed his arms against his chest and looked at Daena. Despite the dirt and disheveledness covering her, she was an otherworldly beauty amongst the dreariness of Kattegat. Her long silver hair and light lilac eyes, it was an unexpected colouring. She is a beauty that could lead us to great treasures, Ragnar presumed.

_"Before you raided the monastery, we received a letter from the Septon of Westeros. Their King was backstabbed by his own soldier and his heir, the Prince was killed in battle."_

Floki's eyes widened in excitement, _"How far is this Westeros?"_ he asked. He was intrigued by thought of an unknown place, Floki had never been much of an explorer, always sticking to his carpentry and boat making. But the thought of a entirely new continent, one where he could gain knowledge for his skills and spread knowledge about Norse gods. He was excited to learn more.

Athelstan looked at him, _"It is quite far from England, they say it is on the other side of the world."_

_"Has anyone from England explored Westeros?"_ Ragnar asked.

_"As far as I recall, a group of priests from Northumbria were sent to spread knowledge about Christianity. They returned with stories of heretics and people practicing pagan religions."_ Athelstan replied, thinking back to his time at the monastery. They received a letter from the high priest at Northumbria who spoke about a King and the Seven Gods they followed.

Athelstan turned to Daena, "Do you remember Christian priests arriving in your homeland?" he asked.

Daena looked up from feeding Aegon who was full and yawning in content. She wiped his mouth with a small cloth and held Aegon to her chest, rubbing his back.

"Yes I do. They tried to convert our subjects in King's Landing, but my father captured them, threatening to burn them if they continued," Daena replied, as she continued to lightly thump Aegon's back. A small burp came from the child and he fell asleep, "We had our guards ship them back to wherever they came from."

Athelstan relayed her answer back to Floki and Ragnar. _"What does she mean by burning?"_ Ragnar asked, his piercing blue eyes bored into Daena's lilac ones. Daena turned away first, her gaze steadied on the wooden table.

Athelstan once again translated Ragnar's question for Daena. "My father was mad, they called him the Mad King. He would burn anyone who dared to oppose him."

Ragnar sat back in his chair after listening to Athelstan's translation of the woman's response. The more he heard about this place, the more fascinated he became.

A King who burns his own subjects is never truly a King, Ragnar thought.

Ragnar turned toward Floki, _"We will plan a raid after England. I presume the infighting for the throne would leave the palace susceptible to our army."_ Floki nodded his head in agreement.

_"I will begin to work on creating a ship fit to travel to Westeros."_ Floki said, his hands folded in front of him. His thoughts were already on creating the perfect ship for travelling and carrying back goods.

_"Athelstan, you will teach her our language. She will help us on the raid. We need more information."_ Ragnar ordered.

_"I agree, I will teach her."_ Athelstan replied,

_"I will set up a place for her to live with her children."_

Ragnar and Floki walked out of the home, continuing their conversation on preparing for their next raid. Daena watched them leave with a confused stare, "Does that mean I am allowed to stay in the village?" she asked Athelstan.

"Yes. Come, let's get you and Princess Rhaenys something to eat."

Note: Thank you so much for the reviews, favourites, and follows! Hope you guys like this chapter! As for pairings, I am thinking about OC/Athelstan, let me know what you guys think. I usually post in about 3-4 days. I know the ending seems a bit choppy but this chapter was getting too long.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE: **

Daena cradled a sleeping Aegon in her arms and followed Athelstan outside. He brought along two bowls of warm stew. He was a strange fellow, the center of his head shaved and he was wearing a strange chain with a cross at the end. Though he was very knowledgeable about the ongoings in Westeros.

"Did my brother and sister manage to escape Dragonstone?" Daena asked. She was worried about them, especially Viserys. He was a young boy of eight who would have to take care of his newborn sister. Daena was frightened how he would handle himself after learning of the death of his beloved brother, Rhaegar. He would be crushed, Viserys adored his elder brother and wanted to follow in his footsteps.

_Rhaegar led us to our ruin, _Daena thought angrily.

Athelstan glanced at his companion, "Yes, they did. They are currently in Essos."

Daena was quite troubled as Viserys had no information of her current whereabouts. To him, his elder sister, and niece and nephew were dead, killed by the Usurper Baratheon. It would be futile to contact the Spider as she did not if her message would even reach Westeros.

There were also the Lannisters and their greedy paws, as far as the throne was concerned they could not be trusted. In fact, no one could be trusted. Not until she could confirm Athelstan's proclamation. She prayed they were safe wherever they were.

"I presume you and the children were on your way there." Athelstan assumed. He gestured both bowls of stew to Gyda and Rhaenys. Both girls stopped playing and made their way to Daena and Athelstan. The younger boy, Bjorn, was most likely off on his own adventure.

"Yes, we were, then our helmsman fell into the sea." Daena said. She cursed at her bad luck, she should be in Essos right now taking care of her younger siblings. They were the only dragons left in the world. And dragons needed to stay together, lest the Usurper send out assassins to murder them.

A young woman, mother to Gyda and Bjorn, interrupted, "Lagertha." She said, gesturing to herself.

Lagertha gestured to Daena to follow her. Daena looked back at Athelstan, "Do not worry, I will make certain the girls eat all of their food."

Daena only nodded in return and followed Lagertha.

Inside the house, Lagertha led her to the back where the bedroom was located. There was a wooden basket, outlined with soft cloth made to hold a babe. Daena sighed in relief, her arms had been hurting for the past few hours. She laid the sleeping babe into the basket and allowed Lagertha to place a blue blanket over Aegon.

Lagertha turned around to open a wooden cupboard, she brought out a soft cotton green dress. Daena grabbed her hands, "Thank you so much," she said, with a grateful smile on her face. Daena's eyes shone with relief and in that moment, the tension and stress she kept coiled up eased.

A refreshing bath later, Daena emerged from the home with her silver hair shining in the moonlight and her lilac eyes sparkling with renewed energy. She looked across the courtyard and saw Rhaenys curled up against Gyda, a thick woolen blanket covering them from the coolness of the night. A small fire was lit, Bjorn and his mother were warming themselves as he talked to her about his day.

Athelstan fell in step beside her, disrupting her thoughts. _He is stealthy for a monk, he would have made a great addition to the Spider's little birds,_ Daena mused.

"She is a strong child," he said, as the both of them gazed at the sleeping children.

Athelstan turned toward her, "You will be safe here. Ragnar is a good man."

"A good man who keeps a slave?" Daena countered. It was concerning the respectful and kind family of the Earl kept a slave. Slaves had been banned from Westeros for many centuries and those who kept them were in the Free Cities.

"It is the culture of Vikings. They raid, hunt, and plunder villages for their necessities. They worship pagan gods and feast on violence." Athelstan explained.

"What of Earl Ragnar?" Daena asked firmly, her arms crossed. The culture of the Vikings reminded Daena of the stories her septon told her about the Dothraki. They were known to be vicious savages, men who did not care where you were from or which noble family you were born to. All were slaughtered in the end.

"He is a good man, he could have killed me the moment he raided our monastery. Yet, he did not. I spoke Norse, you see. He became fascinated." Athelstan recalled, walking forward a few steps as he spoke.

He turned around, moonlight casting shadows across his face, his kind face. He smiled. "I may be a slave to the rest of the village, but in this home, I am considered a close friend. A well wisher of sorts."

Daena felt she could rest easy after Athelstan's explanation, "Thank you, Athelstan. It's been a trying time for me. I truly appreciate your support."

Athelstan turned red, blushing, "No need to thank me, Princess. I will continue to help you to the best of my ability."

"You shall start teaching me Norse in the morning," Daena said, "I wish to know what they are saying."

Athelstan nodded in reply.

Daena and Athelstan walked over to where the girls were napping and gently woke them up.

It was later in the night, the salty breeze strongly brushed through Rhaenys' hair, sweeping it to the front. Daena carefully picked Rhaenys up onto her right shoulder, the one that was not aching. She shivered violently in Daena's arms. The air was getting much cooler.

Daena led her inside to the warmth. A quick bath later, Daena eased Rhaenys to sleep on the floor beside her.

Warm sunlight peeked through the gaps of the curtain. Daena brought her hand up to block the light, her eyes crinkling as the light roused her. She sat up from the hard ground, stretching her arms, her back throbbed in pain. Daena yawned, her hand covering her mouth.

She turned to wake up Rhaenys and Aegon, yet there was empty space. They were not there. Aegon's basket was gone and Rhaenys' blanket crumpled to the side.

Daena breathing quickened. Her eyes frenzied, she panicked, "Where are they? I pray they are not hurt..." she mumbled to herself. The front door was open, letting in warm sunlight and fresh salty air. There was no one in the home, only a bowl of leftover stew was on the dining table.

She got up quickly, unraveling herself from the blankets and ran outside.

Rhaenys and Gyda were sitting on the log, breaking their morning fast. Gyda was teaching a few Norse words to Rhaenys, which she repeated back. Lagertha was sitting on a log opposite the girls, rocking a sleeping Aegon.

Both girls stopped giggling and looked up to see Daena's disheveled appearance.

"Rhae! Where is your brother?" Daena asked. She clutched her skirts and rushed over to where the girls were sitting.

Rhaenys stood up, holding her bowl, "Lagertha." she said, pointing outside.

"Where?" There was an urgency in her voice. Daena did not know if the Usurper's assassins could reach her here, and she did not want to put her nephew at risk, no matter how nice the Earl's family seemed. Elia was like a sister to her and Daena would do whatever it takes to protect her children.

"_Come!_" Gyda turned around and gestured for Daena to start following. Rhaenys grabbed her hand and they hurried after the little girl.

They passed by several sloped brown coloured houses. They stopped in front of a medium sized house. In the courtyard, Ragnar was overseeing reparations, directing workers to fix up certain parts of the house. Athelstan was one of them, he held the ladder still as the roofer mended the roof.

Lagertha cradled a sleeping Aegon in her arms as she sat on a nearby log. She was gazing at the workers, making sure they were doing their job right.

Gyda ran over. She placed her hands on Lagertha's shoulders, diverting her attention, "_Mother, mother, Daena wants Aegon._"

Lagertha's head snapped to the courtyard's entrance. An unkept silver haired young woman looked worried, her hand clenched on the young Rhaeyns' shoulder. Lagertha sighed and got up to greet the woman.

Daena met the woman halfway, picking the sleeping babe from Lagertha's arms. She held Aegon close to her chest, her eyes closed in relief. The morning tension and worry eased.

Aegon gurgled, almost awaking from his nap. "Thank you." She whispered, rocking the babe back to sleep.

Lagertha smiled wanly in response. "_Athelestan, come here!_" She called out.

Athelstan called for another worker to take his place. He unrolled the sleeves of his long brown robe and wiped the sweat off his brow. Ragnar nodded to him and continued giving instructions.

"Tell them what we are doing here." Lagertha instructed. She left them to their devices and went to stand beside her husband, Earl Ragnar.

Rhaenys looked distressed at the thought of leaving her aunt alone, but Daena gave her a tiny smile and gestured to go play. Gyda led Rhaenys away to play ball, giving the adults room to talk.

Athelstan nodded, he turned to look at Daena. "We are mending this house for you and the children, my lady."

Daena's heart filled with happiness, she now had allies in this foreign land. She smiled widely, her eyes crinkling, "Thank you so much, Athelstan."

The tips of Athelstan's ears turned red, he looked at the ground to avoid meeting Daena's eyes. "I had no hand in it, Earl Ragnar wants you and the children to live in peace."

Daena's brows furrowed, "I must tell you, I wish to travel to Essos. I do not want to stay here permanently. This is not my home."

"You must understand, Athelstan." Daena continued. She placed her hand on Athelstan's arm, catching his attention. He stared at her in shock, it was uncouth for a lady of her standard. "I have to protect my younger siblings, the Usurper will have them killed." Daena's eyes bore into his, pleading him to understand the situation.

Athelstan shook her hand off, "Forgive me, my lady. You promised Ragnar the route to Westeros. They will not forget that." He walked away a few steps, turning his back.

Daena let out a sigh, "I understand."

She closed her eyes in contemplation, "Will they let me leave once I lead them to my homeland?" She questioned.

It was a question that plagued her mind ever since the conversation with the Earl and the boat maker. These men were Vikings, it was in their nature to raid and kill. What was the guarantee they wouldn't hurt the innocent people of King's Landing. Though the Usurper was ruling, it was still her ancestral seat and she did not wish ill on the townsfolk.

Athelstan turned around, facing the silver haired woman. "Perhaps, I do not know," he clasped his hands, pondering the thought. "Earl Ragnar can be generous. If you take him and his army to Westeros, there is a chance he may let you and the children go."

"I will ask him to consider it once you finish teaching me Norse." Daena stated, giving the man a forced smile.

"Come, sit, my lady. I shall teach you the language of these men." Athelstan said, gesturing her to a nearby log.

The two walked towards a large log, suitable to carry the weight of four grown men. Daena heaved a sigh of relief, her back ached from sleeping on the ground. Her stomach grumbled, loudly. Daena's face reddened, she held Aegon closer to her bosom.

"Get me something to eat first. I did not break my fast this morning."

"Yes, my lady." Athelstan replied. He left the woman and babe sitting on the log and returned to Ragnar's home. He expected the Princess to eat the bowl of leftover stew before arriving at her new house, though, he presumed, the concern for her nephew overtook all sense of understanding.

Daena looked down at the child, Aegon, he resembled Rhaegar entirely. There was no hint of Elia's Dorish genes. It was all given to Rhaenys, save for her purple eyes. Though, Daena could see Elia's nose and eye shape in the boy. The babe gurgled, waking up from his nap, lilac eyes met similar lilac eyes.

* * *

Ragnar turned away from the ongoing construction and studied the foreign Princess. She was an enigma. Her kingdom was an enigma. He dreamt of travelling the world, discovering different countries and learning about their people. He was getting closer to his dream. Though he did not trust the woman.

"_What are you thinking?_" Lagertha asked, jolting Ragnar from his thoughts. He turned to look at her, his beautiful wife, his support. Without her and their children, he would be nothing.

"_The Princess_," He stated, his hand rubbed his chin as he voiced his thoughts, "_Do you believe she is trustworthy? That she will lead us to her lands?_"

"_Trustworthy? No I do not believe she is_," Lagertha answered, "_But she will do anything for her children._"

"_I will not harm the children._" Ragnar said, indignant. He would never think of harming innocent children, never. It was not the way. Not his way, at least.

"_I know,_" Lagertha soothed, her hand caressing Ragnar's arm, "_She will have to prove to us that she is worthy of our trust._" Her blue eyes locked into his.

Ragnar sighed, his eyes lowering. He ran a hand over his braid. "_Agreed, my love._"

"This will be our step towards that." He stated, gesturing to the workers milling around the house.

**A/N:** So sorry for the long wait. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it. This chapter took me so long to get through. We'll get to the budding romance and adventure soon! Hope you like this chapter.


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